System and method for improving login and registration efficiency to network-accessed data

ABSTRACT

A system, comprising: memory operable to store at least one program; at least one processor in communication with the memory, in which the at least one program, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform the steps of: receiving an initial request for access to restricted data from a client device, the initial request including a user identifier; determining whether the user identifier is associated with any of a plurality of user registration records for accessing the restricted data; transmitting login data to the client device if the user identifier is associated with one of the plurality of user registration records and transmitting registration data to the client device if the user identifier is not associated with any of the plurality of the user registration records.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/012,726 filed Jun. 16, 2014 entitled “SYSTEM ANDMETHOD FOR IMPROVING LOGIN AND REGISTRATION EFFICIENCY TONETWORK-ACCESSED DATA”, incorporated by reference herein in itsentirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to improving login andregistration efficiency of network-accessed data such as web pages.

BACKGROUND

Currently, network-accessed data, such as websites, suffer from theproblem of having two or more separate processes for login orregistration. Situations may arise where a user wastes time navigatingbetween both the login stage and the registration stage because theuser, for example in a website, forgot login credentials (e.g. usernameand password) or mistakenly believed that he or she had alreadyregistered with the website.

In an example instance, a user may have forgotten that he or she haslogin credentials and may select to register for access to the website.After the user takes the time to register, the website may inform theuser that the user has already registered. Now the user must return tothe login web page and enter the login credentials to access thewebsite.

Alternatively, a user may have forgotten that he or she does not havelogin credentials and may select to login for access to the website.After the user takes the time to login, the website may inform the userthat the user has not registered with the website. Now the user mustvisit the registration web page and enter the registration informationto access the website.

Both scenarios can be a tedious and time-consuming process for the user,as the user may visit both the login and registration web pages beforeaccessing the website. A website with a structure that results in wastedtime for a user is less desirable and may result in lost user interest.

There exists a need for network-accessed data, such as websites, thatimprove login and registration efficiency to improve the userexperience.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, there is a system, comprising: memory operable tostore at least one program; at least one processor in communication withthe memory, in which the at least one program, when executed by the atleast one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform thesteps of: receiving, from a client device, an initial request for accessto restricted data, the initial request including a user identifier;determining whether the user identifier is associated with any of aplurality of user registration records for accessing the restricteddata; transmitting login data to the client device if the useridentifier is associated with one of the plurality of user registrationrecords and transmitting registration data to the client device if theuser identifier is not associated with any of the plurality of the userregistration records.

In a further embodiment, the at least one processor further performs thestep of: receiving, from the client device, a login request to accessthe restricted data, the login request including the user identifierprovided in the initial request and a password provided after the stepof transmitting the login data.

In a further embodiment, the at least one processor further performs thestep of: receiving, from the client device, a registration request toaccess the restricted data, the registration request including the useridentifier provided in the initial request and a password provided afterthe step of transmitting the registration data.

In a further embodiment, the user identification is an email address ofthe user.

In a further embodiment, the login data includes the user identifierprovided in the initial request and a user-fillable password fieldconfigured to receive a user password associated with the useridentifier.

In a further embodiment, the registration data includes the useridentifier provided in the initial request and a user-fillable passwordfield configured to receive a user password associated with the useridentifier.

In a further embodiment, the initial request for access is a request foraccess to a restricted web page of a website.

In a further embodiment, the login data comprises a web page.

In a further embodiment, the registration data comprises a web page.

In a further embodiment, the user identifier is the only user-provideddata in the initial request.

In one embodiment, there is a computer-implemented method comprising:receiving, from a client device, an initial request for access torestricted data, the initial request including a user identifier;determining whether the user identifier is associated with any of aplurality of user registration records for accessing the restricteddata; transmitting login data to the client device if the useridentifier is associated with one of the plurality of user registrationrecords and transmitting registration data to the client device if theuser identifier is not associated with any of the plurality of the userregistration records.

In a further embodiment, the method further comprising: receiving, fromthe client device, a login request to access the restricted data, thelogin request including the user identifier provided in the initialrequest and a password provided after the step of transmitting the logindata.

In a further embodiment, the method further comprising: receiving, fromthe client device, a registration request to access the restricted data,the registration request including the user identifier provided in theinitial request and a password provided after the step of transmittingthe registration data.

In a further embodiment, the user identification is an email address ofthe user.

In a further embodiment, the login data includes the user identifierprovided in the initial request and a user-fillable password fieldconfigured to receive a user password associated with the useridentifier.

In a further embodiment, the registration data includes the useridentifier provided in the initial request and a user-fillable passwordfield configured to receive a user password associated with the useridentifier.

In a further embodiment, the initial request for access is a request foraccess to a restricted web page of a website.

In a further embodiment, the login data comprises a web page.

In a further embodiment, the registration data comprises a web page.

In a further embodiment, the user identifier is the only user-provideddata in the initial request.

In one embodiment, there is a non-transitory computer readable storagemedium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which,when executed by a processor, performs the steps of: receiving, from aclient device, an initial request for access to restricted data, theinitial request including a user identifier; determining whether theuser identifier is associated with any of a plurality of userregistration records for accessing the restricted data; transmittinglogin data to the client device if the user identifier is associatedwith one of the plurality of user registration records and transmittingregistration data to the client device if the user identifier is notassociated with any of the plurality of the user registration records.

In a further embodiment, the at least one processor further performs thestep of: receiving, from the client device, a login request to accessthe restricted data, the login request including the user identifierprovided in the initial request and a password provided after the stepof transmitting the login data.

In a further embodiment, the at least one processor further performs thestep of: receiving, from the client device, a registration request toaccess the restricted data, the registration request including the useridentifier provided in the initial request and a password provided afterthe step of transmitting the registration data.

In a further embodiment, the user identification is an email address ofthe user.

In a further embodiment, the login data includes the user identifierprovided in the initial request and a user-fillable password fieldconfigured to receive a user password associated with the useridentifier.

In a further embodiment, the registration data includes the useridentifier provided in the initial request and a user-fillable passwordfield configured to receive a user password associated with the useridentifier.

In a further embodiment, the initial request for access is a request foraccess to a restricted web page of a website.

In a further embodiment, the login data comprises a web page.

In a further embodiment, the registration data comprises a web page.

In a further embodiment, the user identifier is the only user-provideddata in the initial request.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description ofembodiments of the system and method, will be better understood whenread in conjunction with the appended drawings of an exemplaryembodiment. It should be understood, however, that the invention is notlimited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram that illustrates an example system forimproving login and registration efficiency to access network-accesseddata according to at least one embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 2A-2B show a block diagram that illustrates an example method forimproving website login and registration efficiency according to atleast one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary screenshot of a landing web page that may bedisplayed on a client device in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 shows an exemplary screenshot of a login web page that may bedisplayed on a client device in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 5 shows an exemplary screenshot of a registration web page that maybe displayed on client device in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The example embodiments of the present invention, discussed below,improve login and registration efficiency by reducing the amount of userinteractions (e.g., user selections and user inputs via a graphical userinterface). Instead of requiring a user to select whether to login to orregister for access to network-accessed data (e.g., a restricted accesswebsite), at least some embodiments of the present invention streamlinethe process by integrating portions of the login and registrationprocess, thereby removing the need for a user to make the selection.

In addition to reducing the amount of user interactions, embodiments ofthe present invention improve upon existing computer technologies byreducing the amount of computer processing required by the user and hostcomputers. Each time a user requests network-accessed data from a hostcomputer, the user's computer must utilize computer processing resourcesto generate and transmit a request (e.g., an HTTP request) to the hostcomputer. The host computer must then utilize computer processingresources to generate and transmit a response (e.g., an HTTP response)to the user's computer. Reducing the number of generated computerrequests and responses by integrating portions of the login andregistration process in accordance with embodiments of the presentinvention results in a reduction in the amount of computer processingresources required at the user and host computers. These computerprocessing resources can then be re-allocated to other computingfunctions, such as generating graphical user interfaces for the user atthe user's computer or processing requests from other users at the hostcomputer.

Embodiments of the present invention also improve computer technology byreducing the amount of computer processing required by the computernetwork to process the requests and responses from the user's computerand the host computer. Computer networks are implemented as a network ofrouters that connect the user's computer and the host computer. Thenetwork of routers utilize computer processing resources to process androute the requests and responses from the user and host computers to theproper recipient. Reducing the number of computer requests and responsesgenerated by the user and host computers by integrating portions of thelogin and registration process results in a reduction in the amount ofcomputer processing resources required by the network of routers toprocess and route the requests and responses. These computer processingresources can then be re-allocated to other computing functions, such asrouting requests and responses from other computers connected to thenetwork.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like reference numeralsindicate like elements throughout, there is shown in FIGS. 1-5, a systemand methods for improving login and registration efficiency, generallydesignated, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram that illustrates a system 100 for improvinglogin and registration efficiency to access network-accessed dataaccording to at least one embodiment of the present invention. In atleast one embodiment, the system 100 may include one or more computersor servers, non-transitory memory operable to store one or more computerprograms and one or more processors to implement the one or morecomputer programs. For example, the system 100, shown in FIG. 1, mayinclude client device 110, server device 120 and network 130.

Client device 110 may be a computing device for receiving inputs from auser, requesting network-accessed data from server device 120 vianetwork 130 and/or displaying data from service device 120 at therequest of a user. Examples of a client device 110 may include a smartphone, tablet or a personal computer, among others.

Server device 120 may be any computing device for receiving and/orresponding to requests for network-accessed data from client device 110.Examples of network-accessed data may include web page data, hyper textmarkup language (HTML), text, video, picture, software, executable,interpretable, byte-code, and binary files.

In one embodiment, server device 120 is a web server that hosts awebsite. Client device 110 may request network-accessed data, such asweb page data, from server device 120 based on a hyper text transferprotocol (HTTP). In one embodiment, client device 110 may transmit HTTPGET requests to retrieve network-accessed data from server device 120.In one embodiment, client device 110 may transmit HTTP POST requests tostore network-accessed data at server device 120. Server device 120 mayreceive the network-accessed data requests and transmit thenetwork-accessed data to client device 110. The user may instruct clientdevice 110 to request network-accessed data from server device 120 usingHTTP requests. Server device 120 may respond to network-accessed datarequests by sending network-accessed data to client device 110. In oneembodiment, network-accessed data may include web page data such as anHTML web page. In one embodiment, network-accessed data may include anHTML form that may contain user-input elements including user-fillablefields such as text fields, checkboxes, and radio-buttons, as well asuser-selectable icons such as submit buttons. In one embodiment, serverdevice 120 may respond to asynchronous (i.e. in the background)network-accessed data requests from client device 110 that do not alterthe display and behavior of the network-accessed data displayed onclient device 110. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate thatsystem 100 is not limited to the use of HTML or HTTP, and thatembodiments of the present invention can be used with any computercommunication language or network protocol suitable for the purposes ofthe described communications between client device 110 and server device120.

Client device 110 may include communication infrastructure 111,processor 112, memory 113, user interface 114 and communicationinterface 115. Server device 120 may include communicationinfrastructure 121, processor 122, memory 123 and communicationinterface 125.

Processor 112 or processor 122 may be any type of processor, includingbut not limited to a special purpose or a general-purpose digital signalprocessor. Processor 112 is connected to a communication infrastructure111 (for example, a bus or network). Processor 112 is connected to acommunication infrastructure 121 (for example, a bus or network).Various software implementations are described in terms of thisexemplary computer system.

Memory 113 or memory 123 may include at least one of: random accessmemory (RAM), a hard disk drive and a removable storage drive, such as afloppy disk drive, a magnetic tape drive, or an optical disk drive, etc.The removable storage drive reads from and/or writes to a removablestorage unit. The removable storage unit can be a floppy disk, amagnetic tape, an optical disk, etc., which is read by and written to aremovable storage drive. Memory 113 and/or memory 123 may include acomputer usable storage medium having stored therein computer softwareprograms and/or data to perform any of the computing functions of clientdevice 110 and/or server 120. Computer software programs (also calledcomputer control logic), when executed, enable client device 110 and/orserver 120 to implement embodiments of the present invention asdiscussed herein. Accordingly, such computer software programs representcontrollers of client device 110 and/or server 120. Memory 123 mayinclude one or more datastores that store network-accessed data such asweb page data, software files or any other types of data files. Serverdevice 120 may retrieve the network-accessed data from memory 123 beforetransmitting to client device 110 via network 130. Memory 123 mayinclude one or more data stores that store user registration records.Each user registration record includes at least one username andpassword associated with a registered user. To access restrictednetwork-accessed data, a user may be required to provide logincredentials (e.g. a username and password) that matches one of the userregistration records.

User interface 114 may be a program that controls a display (not shown)of client device 110. User interface 114 may include one or moreperipheral user interface components, such as a keyboard or a mouse. Theuser may use the peripheral user interface components to interact withclient device 110. User interface 114 may receive user inputs, such asmouse inputs or keyboard inputs from the mouse or keyboard userinterface components. User interface 114 may display network-accesseddata, such as web pages, on the display of client device 110 using a webbrowser. A web browser may be an application with the ability to renderHTML pages, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and JavaScript content on thedisplay of user interface 114. User interface 114 may displaynetwork-accessed data, such as web pages, on the display of clientdevice 110 using a mobile software application. One of ordinary skill inthe art will appreciate that user interface 114 is not limited todisplaying network-accessed data using a web browser or a mobilesoftware application, and that embodiments of the present invention maycontemplate using other display devices or software suitable for thepurposes of the displaying the network-accessed data.

Communication interface 115 and/or communication interface 125 allownetwork-accessed data to be transferred between client device 110 andserver device 120. Examples of communication interface 115 orcommunication interface 125 may include a modem, a network interface(such as an Ethernet card), a communication port, a Personal ComputerMemory Card International Association (PCMCIA) slot and card, etc.Network-accessed data transferred via communication interface 115 orcommunication interface 125 are in the form of signals, which may beelectronic, electromagnetic, optical, or other signals capable of beingtransmitted or received by communication interface. These signals areprovided to or received from communication interface 115 andcommunication interface 125 via network 130.

Network 130 connects client device 110 and server device 120 by carryingsignals. Network 130 may be implemented using wire or cable, fiberoptics, a phone line, a wireless link, a cellular phone link, a radiofrequency link, or any other suitable communication channel. Forinstance, network 130 may be implemented using a combination ofchannels. Network 130 may be implemented as an intranet and/or aninternet.

FIGS. 2A-2B show a block diagram that illustrates a method 200 forimproving website login and registration efficiency according to atleast one embodiment of the present invention.

At step 201, client device 110 displays initial network-accessed data,such as landing web page data for a website, hosted by server device 120using user interface 114. In one embodiment, landing web page data is alanding web page. FIG. 3 shows an exemplary screenshot of a landing webpage 300 that may be displayed on client device 110. The landing webpage 300 is the initial web page that a user may view before the usercan access other portions of the website. The landing web page mayinclude a user-fillable field 301. A user-fillable field may be a fieldconfigured to receive a user text input. In one embodiment, theuser-fillable field 301 may be for receiving a user identifier thatidentifies a user requesting access to a website. In one embodiment, theuser identifier may be an email address. In another embodiment, the useridentifier may be a username. One of ordinary skill in the art willappreciate that user identifiers are not limited to these examples butmay be any form of identifier sufficient to differentiate the user fromother users and potential users, and that the appropriate form of theidentifier may be a dictated embodiment of the present invention chosenfor implementation. In one embodiment, the user fillable field 301 isthe only user-fillable field of the landing web page 300. The landingweb page 300 may also include user-selectable icon 302.

At step 202, after a user has provided an identifier as an input touser-fillable field 301 and selected user-selectable icon 302, clientdevice 110 may transmit, to server device 120, an initial request fornetwork-accessed data, such as web page data, to continue the loginprocess or to register for access to restricted data. An example ofrestricted data may include restricted network-accessed data, such asrestricted portions of a website. One of ordinary skill in the art willappreciate that restricted data is not limited to this example but maybe any form of data that the user cannot access without firstregistering for access, and that the appropriate form of the restricteddata may be a dictated embodiment of the present invention chosen forimplementation. The initial request may include the user identifierpreviously provided by the user at user-fillable field 301. In oneembodiment, the user identifier previously provided by the user is theonly user-provided identification information in the initial request. Inone embodiment, the initial request is an HTTP GET request.

At step 203, after client device 110 transmits the initial request toserver device 120, server device 120 may receive the initial request.

At step 204, server device 120 may determine whether the user isregistered to access the restricted network-accessed data, such as therestricted portions of a web site, by determining whether the useridentifier is associated with any user registration records that includelogin credentials previously registered with server device 120. Afterregistration, login credentials allow a client device to accessrestricted network-accessed data, such as restricted portions of awebsite, hosted by server device 120. Login credentials include both auser identifier and an associated password. To access the restrictednetwork-accessed data, such as restricted portions of a website, clientdevice 110 may be required to transmit, at some point and notnecessarily at the same time, a valid user identifier and a validpassword associated with the user identifier. However, before accessingthe restricted network-accessed data, such as restricted portions of thewebsite, server device 120 determines whether the user identifier isassociated with any login credentials by comparing the user identifierin the initial request to the user identifiers stored in memory 123. Inone embodiment, server device 120 compares the user identifier in theinitial request to the user identifiers in memory 123 by querying adatastore with the user identifier in the initial request for userregistration records that include the user identifier in the initialrequest. The datastore may return, to server device 120, userregistration record results of the query including any user registrationrecord that include a user identifier that matches the user identifierin the initial request. If the user identifier in the initial requestmatches any of the user identifiers stored in the datastore, serverdevice 120 determines that the user has previously registered to accessthe restricted network-accessed data, such as the restricted portions ofthe website. If the user identifier in the initial request does notmatch any of the user identifiers stored in the datastore, server device120 determines that the user has not previously registered to access therestricted network-accessed data, such as the restricted portions of thewebsite.

At step 205, if server device 120 determines that the user haspreviously registered to access the restricted network-accessed data,such as the restricted portions of the website, server device 120 maytransmit network-accessed login data to continue the login process toclient device 110. An example of login data is login web page data. Inone embodiment, login web page data is a login web page. One of ordinaryskill in the art will appreciate that login data is not limited to theseexamples but may be any form of data that aids a user with accessingrestricted data, and that the appropriate form of the login data may bea dictated embodiment of the present invention chosen forimplementation.

FIG. 4 shows an exemplary screenshot of a login web page 400 that may bedisplayed on client device 110. The login webpage 400 is a webpage wherean already registered user may attempt to access other portions of thewebsite by providing the password associated with thepreviously-provided user identifier. Login web page 400 may include afield 401 that includes the user identifier previously supplied by theuser in the initial request. Login web page 400 may also include auser-fillable field 402. In one embodiment, the user-fillable field 402may be configured to receive a user password associated with the useridentifier previously supplied by the user in the initial request. Inone embodiment, the user fillable field 402 is the only user-fillablefield of the login web page 400. Login web page 400 may also includeuser-selectable icon 403, that, when selected, causes the client device110 to transmit a request to server device 120 to login the user to thewebsite.

At step 206, after server device 120 transmits the network-accessedlogin data to continue the login process, such as login web page data,to client device 110, client device 110 may receive the login web pagedata from server device 120.

At step 207, after a user selects the user-selectable icon 403, via amouse input for example, client device 110 may transmit a login requestthat includes login credentials, to server device 120, for access torestricted network-accessed data, such as restricted portions of awebsite that requires login credentials before granting access to therestricted portions. The login request may include the user identifierpreviously provided by the user. The login request may include the userpassword provided by the user at user-fillable field 402. In oneembodiment, the password provided by the user at login web page 400 isthe only user-provided identification information in the login requestprovided after the initial request. In one embodiment, the login requestis an HTTP GET request.

At step 208, after client device 110 transmits the login request toserver device 120, server device 120 receives the login request.

At step 209, server device 120, determines whether the login request isvalid by determining whether the user identifier and password providedby the user are associated with any login credentials previouslyregistered with server device 120. To determine whether the useridentifier and password are associated with any login credentials,server device 120 compares the user identifier and password to the useridentifiers and corresponding passwords stored in memory 123. In oneembodiment, server device 120 compares the user identifier and passwordpreviously provided in the login request to the user identifiers andcorresponding passwords in memory 123 by querying a datastore for userregistration records that include the user identifier and passwordpreviously-provided in the login request. The datastore may return, toserver device 120, user registration record results of the query thatinclude a user identifier and corresponding password that match the useridentifier and password previously-provided by in the login request. Ifthe user identifier and password match any of the user identifiers andcorresponding passwords stored in the datastore, server device 120determines that client device 110 may access restricted network-accesseddata, such as restricted portions of the website that require logincredentials. If the user identifier and password do not match any of theuser identifiers stored in the datastore, server device 120 determinesthat client device 110 may not access restricted network-accessed data,such as restricted portions of the website that require logincredentials.

At step 210, if server device 120 determines that the login request isvalid and that client device 110 may access restricted network-accesseddata, such as restricted portions of the website that require logincredentials, at step 209, server device 120 may transmit restrictednetwork-accessed data, such as restricted web page data to client device110. At step 211, client device 110 receives the restrictednetwork-accessed data, such as the restricted web page data.

At step 212, if server device 120 determines that the login request isinvalid and that the client device 110 may not access portions of thewebsite that require login credentials, at step 209, server device 120may re-transmit the network-accessed login data to continue the loginprocess, such as the login web page, to client device 110 and maytransmit a notification that the previously-provided user identifier andpassword do not match any stored records for the website. At step 213,client device 110 receives the network-accessed login data to continuethe login process, such as the re-transmitted login web page.

At step 213, if the user identifier in the initial request does notmatch any of the user identifiers, as determined at step 204, serverdevice 120 may transmit network-accessed registration data to start theregistration process to client device 110. An example ofnetwork-accessed registration data is registration web page data. One ofordinary skill in the art will appreciate that registration data is notlimited to these examples but may be any form of data that aids a userwith requesting access to restricted data, and that the appropriate formof the registration data may be a dictated embodiment of the presentinvention chosen for implementation.

FIG. 5 shows an exemplary screenshot of a registration web page 500 thatmay be displayed on client device 110. The registration webpage 500 is awebpage that allows an unregistered user to register for access torestricted portions of the website by providing a password to associatewith the previously-provided user identifier. Registration web page 500may include a field 501 that includes the user identifier previouslyprovided by client device 110 in the initial request. Registration webpage 500 may also include a user-fillable field 502. In one embodiment,the user-fillable field 502 may be configured to receive a user passwordto associate with the user identifier previously supplied by the user inthe initial request to register the user with the website. Registrationweb page 500 may also include user-selectable icon 503 that, whenselected, causes the client device 110 to transmit a registrationrequest to server device 120 to register the user with the website.

At step 214, after server device 120 transmits the network-accessedregistration data to start the registration process, such asregistration web page data, to client device 110, client device 110 mayreceive the registration web page data from server device 120.

At step 215, after a user selects the user-selectable icon 503, via amouse input for example, client device 110 may transmit a registrationrequest, to server device 120, to register the user for accessrestricted network-accessed data, such as restricted portions of awebsite, that require login credentials. The registration request mayinclude the user identifier previously provided by the client device inthe initial request. The registration request may include the userpassword provided by the user at user-fillable field 502 on theregistration web page 500. In one embodiment, the password provided bythe user at the registration web page 500 is the only user-providedidentification information provided after the initial request that isincluded in the registration request. In one embodiment, theregistration request is an HTTP POST request.

At step 216, after client device 110 transmits the registration requestto server device 120, server device 120 receives the registrationrequest.

At step 217, after server device 120 receives the registration request,server device 120 registers the login credentials of the user with thehost of the network-accessed data, such as a website. To register thelogin credentials of the user with the host of the network-accesseddata, server device 120 may transmit a request to a datastore or memory123 to store a user registration record that includes the useridentifier and password previously-provided by the client device 110.The datastore or memory 123 may return, to server device 120, results ofthe request to store the user identifier and password indicating thatthe registration was successful.

At step 218, after server device 120 has received the results of therequest to store the user identifier and password indicating that theregistration was successful, server device 120 may transmit therestricted network-accessed data, such as restricted-access web pagedata, to client device 110. At step 219, client device 110 receives therestricted network-accessed data, such as restricted-access web pagedata.

As described above, by integrating the login and registration processfor the user, website owners can reduce unnecessary user input and userselections, thereby improving the overall experience for the user.

In at least one embodiment, the system 100 includes one or morecomputers having one or more processors and memory (e.g., one or morenonvolatile storage devices). In some embodiments, memory or computerreadable storage medium of memory stores programs, modules and datastructures, or a subset thereof for a processor to control and run thevarious systems and methods disclosed herein. In one embodiment, anon-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereoncomputer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor,perform one or more of the methods disclosed herein.

The non-transitory computer readable storage media may include volatileand non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in anymethod or technology for storage of information such ascomputer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, orother data. Computer readable storage media may include, but is notlimited to, RAM, ROM, Erasable Programmable ROM (EPROM), ElectricallyErasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory or other solid statememory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD), or otheroptical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic diskstorage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which canbe used to store the desired information and which can be accessed bythe computer system.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could bemade to the exemplary embodiments shown and described above withoutdeparting from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood,therefore, that this invention is not limited to the exemplaryembodiments shown and described, but it is intended to covermodifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention asdefined by the claims. For example, specific features of the exemplaryembodiments may or may not be part of the claimed invention and featuresof the disclosed embodiments may be combined. Unless specifically setforth herein, the terms “a”, “an” and “the” are not limited to oneelement but instead should be read as meaning “at least one”.

It is to be understood that at least some of the figures anddescriptions of the invention have been simplified to focus on elementsthat are relevant for a clear understanding of the invention, whileeliminating, for purposes of clarity, other elements that those ofordinary skill in the art will appreciate may also comprise a portion ofthe invention. However, because such elements are well known in the art,and because they do not necessarily facilitate a better understanding ofthe invention, a description of such elements is not provided herein.

Further, to the extent that the method does not rely on the particularorder of steps set forth herein, the particular order of the stepsshould not be construed as limitation on the claims. The claims directedto the method of the present invention should not be limited to theperformance of their steps in the order written, and one skilled in theart can readily appreciate that the steps may be varied and still remainwithin the spirit and scope of the present invention.

We claim:
 1. A system, comprising: memory operable to store at least oneprogram; at least one processor in communication with the memory, inwhich the at least one program, when executed by the at least oneprocessor, causes the at least one processor to perform the steps of:providing a first user interface to a client device, the first userinterface including a user identifier field to allow a user to provide auser identifier to the client device; receiving, from the client device,an initial request for access to restricted data, the initial requestincluding the user identifier provided by the user via the first userinterface on the client device; determining whether the user identifierin the initial request is associated with any of a plurality of userregistration records for accessing the restricted data; transmitting alogin user interface including login data to the client device if theuser identifier provided by the user via the first user interface isassociated with one of the plurality of user registration records;providing the restricted data to the client device if a login requestreceived from the user via the client device meets login criteria;transmitting a registration user interface including registration datato the client device if the user identifier provided by the user via thefirst user interface is not associated with any of the plurality of theuser registration records; and providing the restricted data to theclient device if a registration request is received from the user viathe client device.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least oneprocessor further performs the step of: receiving, from the clientdevice, a login request to access the restricted data, the login requestincluding the user identifier provided in the initial request and apassword provided after the step of transmitting the login data.
 3. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor further performsthe step of: receiving, from the client device, a registration requestto access the restricted data, the registration request including theuser identifier provided in the initial request and a password providedafter the step of transmitting the registration data.
 4. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the user identifier is one of: an email address of theuser and a username of the user.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein thelogin data includes the user identifier provided in the initial requestand a user-fillable password field configured to receive a user passwordassociated with the user identifier.
 6. The system of claim 1, whereinthe registration data includes the user identifier provided in theinitial request and a user-fillable password field configured to receivea user password associated with the user identifier.
 7. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the initial request for access is a request for accessto a restricted web page of a website.
 8. The system of claim 1, whereinthe login data comprises a web page.
 9. The system of claim 1, whereinthe registration data comprises a web page.
 10. The system of claim 1,wherein the user identifier is the only user-provided data in theinitial request.
 11. A computer-implemented method comprising: providinga first user interface to a client device, the first user interfaceincluding a user identifier field to allow a user to provide a useridentifier to the client device; receiving, from the client device, aninitial request for access to restricted data, the initial requestincluding the user identifier provided by the user via the first userinterface on the client device; determining whether the user identifierin the initial request is associated with any of a plurality of userregistration records for accessing the restricted data; transmitting alogin user interface including login data to the client device if theuser identifier provided by the user via the first user interface isassociated with one of the plurality of user registration records;providing the restricted data to the client device if a login requestreceived from the user via the client device meets login criteria;transmitting a registration user interface including registration datato the client device if the user identifier provided by the user via thefirst user interface is not associated with any of the plurality of theuser registration records; and providing the restricted data to theclient device if a registration request is received from the user viathe client device.
 12. The method of claim 11, the method furthercomprising: receiving, from the client device, a login request to accessthe restricted data, the login request including the user identifierprovided in the initial request and a password provided after the stepof transmitting the login data.
 13. The method of claim 11, the methodfurther comprising: receiving, from the client device, a registrationrequest to access the restricted data, the registration requestincluding the user identifier provided in the initial request and apassword provided after the step of transmitting the registration data.14. The method of claim 11, wherein the user identifier is an emailaddress of the user.
 15. The method of claim 11, wherein the login dataincludes the user identifier provided in the initial request and auser-fillable password field configured to receive a user passwordassociated with the user identifier.
 16. The method of claim 11, whereinthe registration data includes the user identifier provided in theinitial request and a user-fillable password field configured to receivea user password associated with the user identifier.
 17. The method ofclaim 11, wherein the initial request for access is a request for accessto a restricted web page of a website.
 18. The method of claim 11,wherein the login data comprises a web page.
 19. The method of claim 11,wherein the registration data comprises a web page.
 20. The method ofclaim 11, wherein the user identifier is the only user-provided data inthe initial request.
 21. A non-transitory computer readable storagemedium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which,when executed by a processor, performs the steps of: providing a firstuser interface to a client device, the first user interface including auser identifier field to allow a user to provide a user identifier tothe client device; receiving, from the client device, an initial requestfor access to restricted data, the initial request including the useridentifier provided by the user via the first user interface on theclient device; determining whether the user identifier in the initialrequest is associated with any of a plurality of user registrationrecords for accessing the restricted data; transmitting a login userinterface including login data to the client device if the useridentifier provided by the user via the first user interface isassociated with one of the plurality of user registration records;providing the restricted data to the client device if a login requestreceived from the user via the client device meets login criteria;transmitting a registration user interface including registration datato the client device if the user identifier provided by the user via thefirst user interface is not associated with any of the plurality of theuser registration records; and providing the restricted data to theclient device if a registration request is received from the user viathe client device.
 22. The non-transitory computer readable storagemedium of claim 21, wherein the at least one processor further performsthe step of: receiving, from the client device, a login request toaccess the restricted data, the login request including the useridentifier provided in the initial request and a password provided afterthe step of transmitting the login data.
 23. The non-transitory computerreadable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the at least one processorfurther performs the step of: receiving, from the client device, aregistration request to access the restricted data, the registrationrequest including the user identifier provided in the initial requestand a password provided after the step of transmitting the registrationdata.
 24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim21, wherein the user identifier is an email address of the user.
 25. Thenon-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein thelogin data includes the user identifier provided in the initial requestand a user-fillable password field configured to receive a user passwordassociated with the user identifier.
 26. The non-transitory computerreadable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the registration dataincludes the user identifier provided in the initial request and auser-fillable password field configured to receive a user passwordassociated with the user identifier.
 27. The non-transitory computerreadable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the initial request foraccess is a request for access to a restricted web page of a website.28. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 21,wherein the login data comprises a web page.
 29. The non-transitorycomputer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the registrationdata comprises a web page.
 30. The non-transitory computer readablestorage medium of claim 21, wherein the user identifier is the onlyuser-provided data in the initial request.